Newcastle’s Pardew off to Crystal Palace?

The Newcastle United manager is the bookmakers’ favourite for the vacant post at Selhurst Park.

Pardew – who has previously said he had “higher” ambitions than managing the club with which he spent the bulk of his playing career – chose not to speak to the media after yesterday’s 3-2 win over Chelsea.

John Carver, Pardew’s No2, took his post-match Press conference.

Had he spoken to journalists, Pardew could have quickly distanced himself from the Palace job.

The 53-year-old – whose relations with the Press have been strained in recent months – was last night the odds-on favourite to succeed Neil Warnock, dismissed last week, at Selhurst Park.

Pardew, however, signed an eight-year contract in September 2012.

And he has repeatedly insisted he would NOT walk away from the United job when previously asked about his future.

Newcastle owner Mike Ashley – who backed Pardew in the summer despite a public clamour for his dismissal after a difficult few months on the field – was not at the Everton match.

Carver said Pardew was “fine” after the match, but offered no explanation for his refusal to answer questions.

“I went into the dressing room afterwards, because we have an Under-21 fixture on Tuesday,” said Carver.

“I was sorting out the players for that, and then the manager asked me to go and do the Press.

“He just said ‘would you go and do the Press for me?’ That was it. I was actually eating a pie at the time!

“He’s fine. He’s delighted. It’s a fantastic result for us.”

Pardew, the Premier League’s second-longest serving manager behind Arsene Wenger, is due to speak to the media tomorrow ahead of the club’s New Year’s Day home game against Burnley.

The Everton match, decided in Newcastle’s favour by goals from Papiss Demba Cisse, Ayoze Perez and Jack Colback, ended a run of four league and cup defeats.

United had to come from behind after conceding an early goal.

And Carver was heartened by the performance of the team.

“We’ve gone on a run of games where we’ve not won,” said Carver.

“We’ve had a difficult period against good opposition, and again another good opposition (in Everton), but we’ve actually set about them, if you take away the first five minutes, and he has been pleased with the performance.

“I think it has been one of our best performances, probably, in recent times.”